DRIVING THE PRESIDENT’S DAY, per a White House official: “President Obama will visit ZBB Energy Corporation, a Wisconsin manufacturer that is expanding production of advanced zinc bromide flow batteries and intelligent power control platforms for renewable energy storage with the help of a $1.3 million Recovery Act State Energy Program loan. … The company has already been able to retain nearly a dozen workers as a result of the project and has begun initial hiring of new manufacturing technicians as well. Over time, the company estimates they will hire about 80 new workers as a result of the project.” ICONIC PHOTO – The (London) Times – “A farewell to arms: US combat troops quit Iraq -- What began with shock and awe in 2003 ends [this month] as the final US combat troops exit Iraq, leaving a fragile nation gripped by fear.” http://politi.co/9bQUld

2 MILLION HOMELESS IN PAKISTAN FLOODS – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon after tour: “I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.” … AFP: “3.5 million children at risk of deadly water-borne diseases.”

--AP: “Angry flood survivors in Pakistan blocked a highway to protest slow delivery of aid and heavy rain lashed makeshift housing Monday as a forecast of more flooding increased the urgency of the massive international relief effort. Pakistan's worst floods in recorded history began more than two weeks ago in the mountainous northwest and have spread throughout the country. Some 20 million people and 62,000 square miles -- about one-fifth of the country -- have been affected. The scale of the disaster has raised concerns it could destabilize the country, which is pivotal to U.S. hopes of defeating al-Qaida and the Taliban.”

EXCLUSIVE – Gordon Lubold in his “Morning Defense” e-mail: “Yale University is expected to announce that Stan McChrystal has a new gig – as a lecturer in New Haven. He’ll turn in his cammies and combat boots for a pipe and patches after being appointed a senior fellow at the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he’ll teach graduate students a course on leadership.” http://www.politico.com/morningdefense

EXCLUSIVE – The Justice Department is dropping its investigation of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) after a six-year probe – through two presidents and four attorneys general -- of his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Justice Department, which does not comment publicly on investigations, last week notified DeLay’s lead attorney in the matter, Richard Cullen, chairman of McGuireWoods.

--“The federal investigation of Tom DeLay is over and there will be no charges,” Cullen told us. “This is the so-called Abramoff investigation run by the Public Integrity section of DOJ. There have been a series of convictions and guilty pleas since 2005. A campaign-related charge against him continues in Texas. In 2005, we voluntarily produced to the prosecutors over 1,000 emails and documents from the DeLay office dating back to 1997. Several members of Congress objected to producing official government records under Speech or Debate Clause concerns. DeLay took the opposite position, ordering all his staff to answer all questions. He turned over more than 1,000 documents, and several of his aides gave interviews and grand jury testimony.”

“POWER AND THE PEOPLE” poll series -- “Poll: D.C. elites rate Congress higher,” by Andy Barr: “Elites in Washington have a much higher opinion of Congress and are less likely to have their votes swayed by recent ethics scandals than the rest of the nation, according to a new POLITICO poll. … Asked to grade the ‘overall efforts’ of the current Congress, only 11 percent of all Americans who were asked the question gave the institution an ‘A’ or ‘B.’ Thirty-two percent gave Congress a ‘C’ while 23 graded out its performance as a ‘D.’ Twenty-seven percent gave Congress an ‘F.’ … 33 percent of D.C. elites gave Congress a ‘C’ and 23 percent gave it a ‘D.’ But only 20 percent of Washington gave Congress a failing grade … ‘When it comes to Congress, the voters are tough graders — almost no Americans give this Congress an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ despite the passage of landmark legislation,” said Mark Penn, CEO of the polling firm Penn Schoen Berland, which conducted the online survey for POLITICO.” Story http://politi.co/cJmS4u Full results http://politi.co/aT1TA7

--General population: 32% right track, 58% wrong track.

D.C. elites: 45% right track, 49% wrong track.

** A message from Qualcomm: For 25 years, Qualcomm’s ideas and inventions have driven the mobile revolution, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and one another while making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible. For even more information, please visit www.Qualcomm.com. **

BEN FELLER’S NEW BYLINE – “Obama launching 3 days of fundraising travel,” by AP White House Correspondent Ben Feller: “President Barack Obama is out to make sure his presence pays for Democrats, launching a three-day fundraising trip on Monday in which he will touch nearly every region of the nation and play up his economic agenda. Obama will spend the heart of his Monday in Wisconsin, raising money for gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett and other Wisconsin Democrats. Barrett was an early supporter of Obama's once long-shot White House bid. He will cap his day at a glitzy fundraiser in Los Angeles for congressional Democratic candidates.”

“POLITICS & PINTS,” the drinking-trivia game from Chris “The Fix” Cillizza, is tonight from 7 to 9 at Cap. Lounge. Facebook invite http://bit.ly/95vNxf

DRIVING THE WEEK: House Republicans say they plan to “jump all over” the mosque issue in their campaigns. A House GOP strategist: “The Democrats’ strategy going into August was to steer away from the national issues and ‘localize’ their individual races. Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters stepped all over that strategy the first two weeks of this month and President Obama has now ensured that Democrats on the campaign trail will be answering for his remarks all this week and possibly into the fall. Candidates will be calling on their opponents to condemn the president's remarks and expressing their frustration over the decision through various forms of earned media -- traditional press statements, talk radio, debates, social media, etc.”

--The House GOP message will be: “The president is out of touch. Just because someone has the right to do something, doesn't mean people don't have the right to be outraged or upset by the insensitivity of the decision.”

--A senior administration official: “When I start to view religious freedom through the prism of midterm elections, I’m just going to quit.”

-- GAME CHANGE – Nate Silver says President Obama’s comments on the “Ground Zero” mosque are “less politically risky than it might at first appear”: “[P]ublic opinion … is divided into thirds. About a third of the country thinks that not only do the developers have a right to build the mosque, but that it's a perfectly appropriate thing to do. Another third think that while the development is in poor taste, the developers nevertheless have a right to build it. And the final third think that not only is the development inappropriate, but the developers have no right to build it … While it is almost certainly riskier than his remaining mum on the issue, the assertion that the developers have a Constitutional right to proceed with the project is not particularly controversial.” http://bit.ly/bMMJtz

--“GOP takes harsher stance toward Islam,” by Ben Smith and Maggie Haberman: “The harsh Republican response to President Barack Obama's defense of a mosque near ground zero marks a dramatic shift in the party's posture toward Islam — from a once active courtship of Muslim voters to a very public tolerance after Sept. 11 to an openly aired sense of mistrust. Republican leaders have largely abandoned former President George W. Bush's post-Sept. 11 rhetorical embrace of American Muslims and his insistence — always controversial inside the party — that Islam is a religion of peace. … Obama's remarks provide a clear, national focus for the simmering question of Islam in American life, and Republicans showed every sign … of beginning to capitalize on it, with Republican candidates in New York and Florida seeking to inject the issue into local races as Democrats largely held their silence. … [P]otential Republican presidential hopefuls, led by Sarah Palin, came out sharply against the mosque. … Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty … rebuffed pleas from local Muslim leaders to back off his suggestion that the mosque would ‘degrade and disrespect’ the Trade Center site. A spokesman for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney cited both ‘the wishes of the families of the deceased and the potential for extremists to use the mosque for global recruiting and propaganda’ in opposing it.” http://bit.ly/drAH4l

FIRST LOOK – TNR cover, “The Unnecessary Fall of Barack Obama: A Counter-history,” by John B. Judis: “Obama …. has a strange aversion to confrontational politics. … During his campaign and his first year in office, he held to a blind faith in bipartisanship, even as the Republicans voted as a bloc against his legislation. He is, perhaps, ill-suited in these respects for an era of bruising political warfare. His advisers have clearly reinforced these inclinations. In the campaign, they fashioned him as the outsider candidate of ‘hope’ and ‘change’ and have extended this strategy into the presidency itself. They see him as standing above party. … These efforts to elevate Obama above the hurly-burly of Washington politics have been disastrous. Obama’s image as an iconic outsider has become the screen on which Fox News, the Tea Party, radical-right bloggers, and assorted politicians have projected the image of him as a foreigner, an Islamic radical, and a socialist. He has remained ‘the other’ that he aspired to be during the campaign, but he and his advisers no longer control how that otherness is defined.” http://bit.ly/9fUBx0 Cover image http://politi.co/dkZJGV

EXCLUSIVE: Courting business with the prospect of a majority switch, House Republican Leader John Boehner today will send President Obama a letter asking for “a list of all pending rulemakings with a projected cost to our economy in excess of $1 billion.” Administration documents show 191 planned regulations that each has an estimated cost to the economy of at least $100 million, Boehner argues in the letter. “During our recent meeting at the White House, I expressed Republicans’ concern about the ongoing uncertainty American small businesses are facing as a result of what many believe has been a near-constant stream of new federal rules and requirements on private sector job creators,” Boehner writes. “[S]uch uncertainty is contributing significantly to the ongoing difficult our economy is experiencing with respect to the creation of new private sector jobs.” http://bit.ly/bauSoG

OUT TODAY – Spending on state Supreme Court races doubles in 10 years -- AP’s Greg Bluestein: “Campaign fundraising for elections to the nation's top state courts has doubled to more than $200 million over the last decade, fueled partly by super-spending individuals and groups … Between 2000 to 2009, campaign spending for state Supreme Court posts surged to $206.9 million compared with $83.3 million in the previous decade … 22 states [have] Supreme Court contests … In some states, a few special interests dominated judicial election spending, a trend that could grow after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in January to end the ban on election spending by corporations and unions. One example was the $3 million spent by West Virginia coal executive Don Blankenship to help elect a justice in 2004. … The report was prepared by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, the nonpartisan organization Justice at Stake in Washington, and the National Institute on Money in State Politics, based in Helena, Mont.”

2010:

--“Political Name-Calling: Insults abound in 2010 campaigns,” by AP Special Correspondent David Espo: “In Illinois, dueling political wordsmiths long ago cast the Senate race as a choice between a ‘mob banker’ and a ‘serial liar.’ The rivals are … Alexi Giannoulias, the Democrat, and Rep. Mark Kirk, the Republican. … Then there's Connecticut, and a statement the Democratic National Committee sent around referring to the Republican Senate candidate as Linda ‘crotch-kicker’ McMahon. … Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's latest television commercial attacks Republican challenger Sharron Angle as ‘too extreme.’ Political insults are as old as America itself, morphing into ever-new forms … William McKinley ‘has no more backbone than a chocolate eclair,’ said Theodore Roosevelt, speaking of a man whom he served as vice president…. But as the technology has become less primitive, name-calling seems more so … As in Kentucky, where Republicans recently aimed a sour shout-out at Jack Conway. The Democrat running for the Senate is ‘a mudslinging liberal trial lawyer,’ they said. If you're keeping score at home, that's three separate insults in a single phrase.” http://yhoo.it/cZcIrs

--WashPost A1, “Democrats divided over how to approach election,” by Paul Kane: “It's a far cry from the heady days of early 2009, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) began trumpeting the ‘four pillars’ of what was the most ambitious Capitol Hill agenda since President Lyndon B. Johnson's ‘Great Society’ of the 1960s. … The problem for Democrats is that voters have given them virtually no credit for these ambitious projects. The 111th Congress has the lowest average approval rating (19 percent) of any Congress heading into a midterm election since Gallup started tracking the measure in 1974. On key agenda items, Obama receives failing grades, with 38 percent of voters approving of his handling of the economy and 40 percent approving of his health-care approach, according to Gallup. … Some endangered Democrats are thankful that there is no broad national agenda to answer for, preferring to run on local issues. … Some Democrats said that, ultimately, Obama is in charge of coming up with the ‘What next?’ agenda, and that it could be another six months before they know what that is. ‘Beyond this Congress, the president hasn't articulated that yet,’ Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (Md.), elected in 2006 when Democrats offered a ‘Six for '06’ agenda … ‘You have to wait till the State of the Union.’” http://bit.ly/9aOfET

THE WARS:

--NYT A1, “Petraeus Opposes a Rapid Pullout in Afghanistan,” by Dexter Filkins, in Kabul: “Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of American and NATO forces, began a campaign on Sunday to convince an increasingly skeptical public that the American-led coalition can still succeed here despite months of setbacks, saying he had not come to Afghanistan to preside over a “graceful exit.’ In an hourlong interview with The New York Times, the general argued against any precipitous withdrawal of forces in July 2011, the date set by President Obama to begin at least a gradual reduction of the 100,000 troops on the ground. General Petraeus said that it was only in the last few weeks that the war plan had been fine-tuned and given the resources that it required. ‘For the first time,’ he said, ‘we will have what we have been working to put in place for the last year and a half.’” http://nyti.ms/aRsPf4

--“Gates, Petraeus differ on flexibility of Afghan exit,” by AFP’s Andrew Gully: “Defense Secretary Robert Gates insisted Monday the July 2011 date to start withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan was set in stone, putting him at odds with his top Afghan war commander. … ‘There is no question in anybody's mind that we are going to begin drawing down troops in July of 2011,’ Gates told The Los Angeles Times. But Petraeus, asked in a separate interview whether he could reach that juncture and have to recommend a delay to Obama because of the conditions on the ground, replied: ‘Certainly, yeah.’ ‘I think the president has been quite clear in explaining that it's a process, not an event, and that it's conditions-based,’ he told NBC television's ‘Meet the Press.’”

BEYOND THE BELTWAY – USA Today lead story, “Grants to aid states vs. rate hikes: $46M is set aside to curb insurance boost,” by Alison Young: “States plan to use $46 million in grants under the nation’s new health law to help curb health insurance rate increases for consumers by seeking new regulatory powers, hiring rate experts and posting insurance company financial documents on the Web, according to grant application details. Consumer outrage over double-digit rate hikes helped spur the new federal health law, yet states remain responsible for regulating insurance rates under varying state laws. The grants, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to announce today, are the first in a five-year program to bolster state regulation.”

POPPING ONLINE:

--Drudge banner, with shot of North Korean soldier, “NKOREA WARNS: 'SEVEREST PUNISHMENT' FOR WAR GAMES” – links to AFP story: “North Korea's military threatened Sunday to launch the ‘severest punishment’ against South Korea for staging massive joint war games with the United States this week. The North's army and people will ‘deal a merciless counterblow’ to the allies ‘as it had already resolved and declared at home and abroad’, a spokesman for the country's army General Staff said in a statement published by state media. … The warning came a day before US and South Korean troops begin the 10-day computerised war games called ‘Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG)’.” http://yhoo.it/dhxHQ3

--HuffPo banner, with shot of four people using ATMs, “AU REVOIR, OVERDRAFT” – story by Adam J. Rose: “The era of the $35 cup of coffee has come to an end, for most. Unless a consumer chooses to opt-in for overdraft protection, their ATM and debit purchases will be declined if an account has insufficient funds. Prior to Sunday, banks could automatically enroll their customers in the service, which covers the point-of-sale transaction but can result in steep penalties. Shoppers at the counter might turn red with embarrassment when their purchase is refused, but the alternative is for their account to go further into the red -- with fees up to $35 for each swipe of the card.” http://huff.to/cSNoev

COMMENTATOR CROSSFIRE, by Tim Alberta:

--Simon Schama in the Financial Times, “Obama’s brave remarks reveal a true patriot”: “Has Barack Obama just committed political suicide? By appearing to endorse the building of a mosque and Islamic cultural centre at the threshold of Ground Zero, has he set himself at odds with the majority of Americans who regard the idea as a desecration of ‘hallowed ground’? … If the quarrel over the mosque at Ground Zero turns into a debate on the sovereign principles of the American way of life, it is the president and Mayor Bloomberg who will emerge with honour, as the true custodians of what the founders had in mind. Freedom of conscience and religious practice, Mr Obama said at the Iftar dinner, and again in brief clarifying remarks, define ‘who we are’. And in reaffirming this bedrock principle, it is Mr Obama, not his enemies, who identifies himself as an authentic American patriot.” http://bit.ly/9a4Dji

--Byron York in the Washington Examiner, “Obama’s Clintonian speech pulls rug from under mosque supporters”: “[T]here is simply no doubt that Obama's Friday evening speech … was an endorsement of the Ground Zero project. It was certainly widely understood as such. … But on Saturday, Obama said all those listeners were wrong, that they misunderstood him. Several years ago, there was a word for Obama's rhetorical technique: Clintonian. Like the former president, Obama spoke words he knew would be understood as having a particular meaning in a particular context. He also knew that those same words, when examined closely outside that context, might also be interpreted as having a different meaning. In that sense, the mosque affair is a good lesson for both supporters and opponents of the president. From now on, with Obama, as it was with Clinton, the rule is: Don't listen to the speech. Read the words very carefully.” http://bit.ly/bCGg8f

BOX OFFICE BLAST -- L.A. Times, “Company Town: 'The Expendables' is a force at weekend box office,” by Ben Fritz: “Nostalgia dominated cutting-edge at the box office this weekend. ‘The Expendables,’ directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone with a crew of aging action stars, proved far and away the most popular movie in theaters as it sold a strong $35-million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates. With men of all ages and a surprising number of women in attendance, it decimated ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.’ The well-reviewed melange of video game and other pop culture references … opened to a weak $10.5 million. ‘Eat Pray Love,’ starring Julia Roberts in an adaptation of the bestselling book about midlife self-discovery, opened to a pretty good $23.7 million but will need strong word-of-mouth to turn into a hit.” http://bit.ly/9954h5

BUSINESS BURST -- WSJ lead story, “China Output Tops Japan,” by Andrew Batson, Daisuke Wakabayashi and Mark Whitehouse: “China is expected to surpass Japan this year as the world's second-largest economy, an unprecedented position for a still-developing country and one that has brought strains as well as triumphs. … The gap between China's $5 trillion economy and the U.S.'s nearly $15 trillion output remains very large, and even at current growth rates—which may not be sustained—it would take China a decade or more to match the No. 1 U.S.” http://bit.ly/bQnCAy

SPORTS BLINK – AP, “Stephen Strasburg calls out Nats' pick”: “The Nationals' Stephen Strasburg had some pointed words for fellow No. 1 draft pick Bryce Harper: ‘If he doesn't want to play here, then we don't want him here.’ Just like Strasburg a year ago, it appears that Harper and the Nationals will come down to the midnight Monday deadline in an attempt to reach a contract agreement. Harper, a 17-year-old slugger, is represented by Scott Boras, who is known for playing hardball during negotiations. ‘If [Harper] wants to play here, he's going to play here,’ Strasburg said Sunday, after pitching five innings in the Nationals' win over Arizona. ‘He doesn't need advice from anybody to convince him otherwise. If he doesn't want to play here, then we don't want him here. … Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said Saturday that he expects to sign Harper. If the Nationals do, it might take another massive commitment. They signed Strasburg seconds before the midnight deadline last year to a record $15.1 million contract.” http://es.pn/9SxajH

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DeLay cooperated with the investigation ? Good for him. It's refreshing to see someone do something other than obstruct and hide behind every legal maneuever possible. I'm sure this decision will tick off lots of Dems. Good.

So another high powered criminal escapes by virtue of political power and millions of dollars. Tom Delay has got to be one of the sleaziest, most corrupt politicians anyone has ever seen. He has actually been tied to forced prostitution, sweat shop labor, forced abortions, "pay for play" is small potatoes in his career. Tom Delay quote; "Jack Abramoff is one of my closest and dearest friends", any of you conspiracy buffs out there should love this one, tens of millions of dollars, shady deals, prostitutes, dead bodies, casinos, cruise ships, car crashes, international intrigue, convictions with prison sentences for SOME sitting politicians... it goes on and on. I cannot believe after six years and millions of dollars, they let him off, very sad news .....

rannan3 if you think it's "good" that a corrupt criminal who abused his congressional power and influence for profit for himself and his buddies, maybe you live in the wrong country. Or maybe you made money off him too.... there was lots to go around...

This is how it is announced that Republican leader Tom DeLay was cleared of wrongdoing, in an article that has three unrelated topics? Amazing. Meanwhile, Democrats currently accused of wrongdoing host lavish parties for themselves as they wear broad smiles for the camera and poignantly cry for mercy. A former Republican Majority Leader who was cleared of charges certainly warrants an article that is bigger than a Post-It Note. Apparently, in the current climate of the Democratic Hypocritical Culture of Corruption, it is not welcome news that their premiere Republican target that they personally destroyed was cleared. As triumphant Democrat Nancy Pelosi rode to victory back in 2006 on her Trojan Horse of Ethics, her large coterie emerged -- a literal army of Democrat offenders -- that have made DeLay look like a saint. The voters were warned, but it wasn't easy when the press personally shared Pelosi's political positions. The pivotal race centered upon replacing gay Mark Foley (R) with wife-swapping Mahoney (D) -- the latter became the poster boy for immediately tainted Democratic majority, all of which was carefully swept under the rug just as this Republican vindication is now. We heard of Foley night and day -- it was full court national news. "What did you know and when did you know it, Speaker Hastert?" shrieked Pelosi, encumbered by a regrettably large dose of pride. But when Democrat Mahoney went bust, we were left wondering, "Who was he again?" This is how it works. And this is why Republicans will always have more character in their pinky than the entire body of Democratic lapdogs and their press cohorts. Naturally, once in power Democrats wanted to eliminate any dissent in press ranks by trying to silence their talk radio foes and undo their "creation" of a free Internet. Free political speech became famously known as "pornography" (thanks to Rangel pal, Senator Chuck Schumer). When Nancy Pelosi shuts the lights off in her Speaker's office at the removal of her gavel in November, she may want to have a long priestly confession if she hasn't done so yet (hint: pride comes before a fall). It is clear only one party is held accountable in this town. Paradoxically, Republicans will always be the better for it. The other has a party going on, knowing they have to practically steal the Statue of Freedom on top of the Capitol before anyone notices.spontaneous

spontaneous, what you seem to forget ( could fill a library ) is that Republican Politicians are always telling us how much better people they are than anyone else because of their "Family Values" and "Christian Beliefs" and that's how they get elected. So by their own definition they need to held to a higher standard, the problem is that it's all a load of crap! To compare murder and forced prostitution to someone who didn't fully understand the tax code on some Caribbean island is ridiculous. Tom Delay should be in prison. Just like many of his "closest friends" and personal assistants.

W....Friend...c'mon. Take a breath. Look, I don't have to time (..or the electron microscope) to get into Tom Delay's DNA on this issue. I am, though, pretty sure that our government with it's (seemingly) endless supply of money has both...plus a seemingly endless supply of (apparently their) money. Did you follow that? Haha...I'm sure you did. The point is, when it comes to things like this, I'm sure that where there's smoke, the government will find fire...or make some. So...if TD gets off, I'm fairly sure (based only on my views of human nature of course) that it was because he was non-guilty. ...or he had pictures of Barac Obama with barnyard animals. ....or he has an affidavit from the forger of the Prez' birth documents (...a little 'Birther' humor there. Ok..Ok...a 'very' little humor). Perhaps the Emperor was right and we should dissolve the Imperial Senate and bestow power on the regional governors. OH...wait.....two reasons that's a bad idea:

1. It didn't work out well in Star Wars

2. These days, we still don't have light sabers, and we fire our best Jedi's for....immoderate comments.

Hi Cali, hey don't get me wrong, Charlie Rangel needs to go, he's obviously oblivious! He's so used to someone else picking up the tab he stopped trying years ago. Did you ever check out Jon Stewart's rant on him? very funny... Just google delay/abramaoff and see what comes up... then google delay/mariana islands. I'm just sayin'...

Some of the Wild West feel of this Beltway corruption was captured in Saturday’s Washington Post expose, “The DeLay-Abramoff Money Trail.” It documents in chilling detail how, among other scams, Abramoff funneled a portion of the millions he had been skimming from Indian casino operators with a cool million from two Russian energy moguls through a shell organization called the U.S. Family Network—and from there into the coffers of politicians in a position to help his clients. Ironically touting its commitment to “moral fitness” for the nation, the front group with the multimillion-dollar budget had a single staff member housed in the backroom of a capital townhouse it owned and rented out to other organizations linked to Abramoff and Tom DeLay—the latter’s staffers called it, ominously, DeLay’s “safe house.” This is apparently why DeLay felt the need to tout the U.S. Family Network in a 1999 fundraising letter as “a powerful nationwide organization dedicated to restoring our government to citizen control.” It was run by Edwin A. Buckham, DeLay’s former chief of staff, whose lobbying firm, the Alexander Strategy Group, carried DeLay’s wife Christine on its payroll. But the moral “fitness” of such cronyism pales in comparison to the scandal of how Abramoff drummed up support for his varied clients under the cover of conservative morality. For example, in order to block the ambitions of a rival tribe to the Choctaw Indians, who had paid Abramoff millions, the U.S. Family Network sent a mailing to Alabama residents warning shrilly: “The American family is under attack from all sides: crime, drugs, pornography, and one of the least talked about but equally as destructive - gambling. We need your help today to prevent the Poarch Creek Indians from building casinos in Alabama.” The letter conveniently failed to mention, however, that the U.S. Family Network had received at least $250,000 from the gambling proceeds of the Choctaws.

Workinman47: DeLay was cleared by a Democrat-led Justice Department. The charges? Ties to Abramoff. I'm guessing you might also believe George Bush blew up the World Trade Center? I have to differ with you in my firm belief that Republicans get elected based on their policy views (for example, free enterprise rather than dependency on government). Even Republican pro-life policies, which after 14 years in power, centered only on limiting late term abortions and stopping taxpayer funding of abortions. This policy was supported by a clear and strong majority of Americans. In the 90's, ads against Republicans included lies that abortion would be criminalized with the result of women being jailed. Did these things happen after total Republican control? Of course not! In fact, do you know how your party really won control in 2006? Rahm Emmanuel ran pro-life Democrats in swing districts. Quite clever, actually, until their districts realized the ruse. DeLay was not accused of the wild charges you have made. If there were substance to them, certainly they would have been brought forth. Democrats control everything right now, including the Department of Justice. Have you no faith in your party at all? There is no reason why they would not go after him if these things were true. Six years is a really long time to investigate anyone, even by partisan political standards. But I do want to address your interesting view of Christianity, and I can understand how you might have it. The scripture clearly states that what makes people OK with God is belief and identification with who and what God calls right and holy and a desire to be changed -- personified in the life of the Messiah. The Messiah's life was a careful fulfillment of Jewish prophecies and fascinating connections with every Jewish feast day which is now being rediscovered, underscoring the eternal importance of the Jewish people that Christian religionists tried for centuries to squelch. It then says after taking that big step of faith, righteousness is "made available" to believers. It is a fascinating scripture. It is inviting God to start working on cleaning up your life and your motivations. There is no self-made righteousness anywhere in it. However, once this process begins, one's views do change. Needless to say, DeLay was personally flawed. He defied the Christian model in many ways while he tried to promote it -- through manipulation. That is essentially a position based on works, not faith. You have mistaken the conservative social policy viewpoints as stemming from a belief in personal righteousness. You've missed the basic message if you believe this. When Christians do that, they are still walking in their own works. It can take a very long time to get over yourself. Make sure you get the real message before you reject it.spontaneous

In another scam detailed in the Post story (which could be quickly optioned by Hollywood for a thriller), players in the mafia-dominated Russian energy industry slid a cool $1 million payment through a now-defunct London law firm into the U.S. Family Network’s account - which was, de facto, a slush fund for the Abramoff-DeLay network. Citing the Rev. Christopher Geeslin, who served as a titular leader of the U.S. Family Network, the Post reported that Buckham told the reverend the payment was intended to secure DeLay’s support on legislation forcing the International Monetary Fund to bail out the faltering Russian economy without demanding the country raise taxes on its energy and other profitable industries. Right on cue, DeLay found his way onto Fox News Sunday to take up the Russian’s viewpoint: “They are trying to force Russia to raise taxes at a time when they ought to be cutting taxes in order to get a loan from the IMF,” he said. “That’s just outrageous.” The IMF backed down. This is just an initial peek into the sordid world being revealed by Abramoff and two of his key cronies now spilling the beans to federal investigators. But in the bigger picture, what we are witnessing is the death throes of the GOP “revolution” which once promised to restore morality to Washington but instead sank far deeper into the cesspool of corruption.

spontaneous, just because I think Republican Politicians are hypocritical, fear mongering thieves and demagogues doesn't make me a Democrat. Please don't call me names. I think Jesus is a myth, but I also think there are Christian organizations who truly make life better for some people, my issue is the demagoguery from the likes of delay or more recently Sarah Palin.

I try to base my views on facts ( being human I do sometimes have emotional reactions ) 9/11 occurred 8 full months into Bush's Presidency, less than a month after he had been warned in a PDB "Bin Laden Determined To Attack In U.S.". Republican Politicians love to say how much stronger they are on security than anyone else, they love to scare people with talk of terrorist attacks, but the worst one of all time, that they were warned about, happened on their watch!! The fact is 2 of the terrorists were known to the C.I.A., and were allowed into the country anyway. What does that mean? I'm just a workin' man, so I don't know why they would let something like that happen. 15 of the 19 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia, but we invaded Iraq. We are still paying interest on the hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars we have poured into that country that posed absolutely no threat to the United States whatsoever. Why did they do that? I don't know, I'm just a workin' man... I'm just sayin'...

Workinman74: That's an honest enough position. DeLay had some serious issues. Many conservative Christians had deep concerns about his methodology and his associations. But unfortunately, people demand results -- now! Obama is getting it from the Far Left even though he came from their ranks. Perform! Yank the country to the Left (which has created a backlash). These political positions are very, very difficult and pressure people in unanticipated ways. Rangel is a case in point. He really didn't have the competence he needed for that position - - certainly that was obvious from the start. Republicanism is not monolithic and has many factions as does the Democratic party. My issue dates back to the coverage of these ethical issues in 2006 as well as the current coverage of DeLay. Overall, however, any accountability is better than none. This is so clearly seen in states or cities with one-party control that leads to corruption on a large scale (Chicago). However, when it's overly harsh, partisan or conspiratorial, good people are rightly afraid to get involved, and we all suffer. Thanks for your reply.spontaneous

I missed your comments about Iraq. It was no secret that Bush was very chummy with Saudi sheiks, but at least we can be thankful he didn't bow to them as Obama has. The Bush administration was very lax at first by continuing visas for Saudis post 9/11. But he was also similarly horrible on border control, but these views stemmed from deeply personal beliefs. You may not remember, but Bush ran against the Republican Congress of 1994, saying he would in contrast be a "uniter" and not a "divider." He certainly portrayed himself as a conservative, but there was a keen promotion of globalism. Saudi Arabia does not allow much political and economic freedom. Their underclass is radicalized. They are concerned about them rising up and facing a revolution of their own. Bush wanted to establish a democracy in the worst country in the Middle East and open the door to freedom. You may never have seen it in print, but former Prime Minister of Italy Burlesconi swore that Libya's radical Quaddafi was terrified of the Iraq invasion and withdrew from his own terrorist point of view for fear of a Bush invasion. The unrest in Iran against its tyrannical rulers is also no doubt somewhat stirred by the small freedoms enjoyed by Iraqis. All that said, the invasion of Iraq probably may have had something to do with completing his father's mission there. I read that creepy Hussein kept pictures of Bush's daughter's at his bedside. There is always more to the story, but unfortunately, some of it gets seriously distorted by the constant battle for control of our national agenda. Iraq never did descend into civil war. It has somehow remained stable and, unlike Iran, isn't about to be a nuclear threat. Its people are free from the atrocities of Hussein and Chemical Ali. Bill Clinton didn't do much when he encountered threats from Islamic radicals. Until 9/11, it is safe to say no one took this movement seriously enough. Unfortunately, we're doing it again. The current mosque on the very site of 9/11 has symbolic significance to Muslims as they always build a monument to triumph their success (the name "Cordoba" has great meaning to them and it decidedly is NOT pacifist). We don't really understand how they think.spontaneous

spontaneous, I remember the Bush years all too well, I'm not sure what you mean by Obama bowing to the Saudis... if you're talking literally, I'd rather see that image than George W. kissing or holding hands with Prince Bandar, who was known as Bandar Bush to W. and his family, that's a little more than chummy, it's downright creepy! I would also respectfully disagree with your assertion that Iraq was the "worst country in the Middle East" Baghdad was cosmopolitan before the invasion, Art Museums, Theaters, Concert halls, reliable power so on and so forth, now they can't get power for more than 3 or 4 hours at a stretch... I could go on but I'm very busy today. Thank you for your thoughtful reply.